MEMS is a popular acronym for Micro-Electro Mechanical Systems, of which monolithic silicon based accelerometers are a subset, of which vibration beam detection accelerometers are a further subset. MEMS vibration beam detection accelerometer devices are generally well-known.
Obtaining data from accelerometer output that has reduced non-linearity characteristics imposes significant obstacles for designs of micro-machined MEMS accelerometers. In out-of-plane accelerometers that rely upon stacked parallel capacitor plates for detection by capacitive pick-off, obtaining linear output has been difficult because the capacitance varies inversely with displacement of the out-of-plane pendulous proof mass by 1/d, where d is the distance between the capacitor plates on the pendulous proof mass and a relatively stationary frame from which the pendulous proof mass is suspended.
Therefore, devices and methods for overcoming these and other limitations of typical state of the art MEMS accelerometer and other devices are desirable.